Ice dispensing machine

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for dispensing flaked or particulate ice including a rotatable ice storage bin, means defining a discharge opening below the storage bin and communicable with a discharge spout, a discharge chute selectively movable in response to a receptacle being moved into an ice receiving position below the spout for communicating particulate ice from the discharge opening to the discharge spout and effecting rotation of the storage bin.

United States Patent [191 Kohl et al.

[ Mar. 12, 1974 1 ICE DISPENSING MACHINE [75] Inventors: Vance L. Kohl;Walter Harold I-loenisch, both of Albert Lea, Minn.

[73] Assignee: King-Seeley Thermos Co., Ann Arbor, Mich.

221 Filed: Dec. 6, 1971 21 Appl. No.: 205,215

[52] U.S. Cl. 222/108, 222/168 [51] Int. Cl B67d 1/08 [58] Field ofSearch 222/108, 146 C, 168, 167,

ZZZ/168.5, 169

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,781,153 2/1957 Roberts222/146 C X 3,406,871 10/1968 Hoenisch 222/129.3 X

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 514,915 11/1939 Great Britain 222/108Primary Examiner-Stanley H. Tollberg Assistant Examiner-Larry H. MartinAttorney, Agent, or FirmHamess, Dickey & Pierce [5 7] ABSTRACT Anapparatus for dispensing flaked or particulate ice including a rotatableice storage bin, means defining a discharge opening below the storagebin and communicable with a discharge spout, a discharge chuteselectively movable in response to a receptacle being moved into an icereceiving position below the spout for communicating particulate icefrom the discharge opening to the discharge spout and effecting rotationof the storage bin.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures ICE DISPENSING MACHINE BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION Generally speaking, the particulate ice dispensing apparatusof the present invention comprises an ice storage bin that is rotatablymounted within a dispensing housing and within which a mass or volume ofparticulate ice is stored prior to being discharged therefrom. At suchtime as it is desired to dispense particulate ice from the storage bin,the entire mass of stored ice is rotated over a stationary dischargespout supported in a plate adjacent the lower end of the ice mass, thisplate being provided with means for shearing ice from the lower end ofthe mass in the event that there exists any adhesion or bridging betweenthe ice particles.

More particularly, the present invention is concerned with certainimprovements over the flaked ice dispenser shown and described in U. S.Pat. No. 3,406,871, issued Oct. 22, 1968, which generally shows an icedispensing machine of the above described type, but which includes ashutter assembly that is rotatable with the ice storage bin toselectively close or block the flow of ice and incidental melt waterbetween the discharge opening in the bin and the discharge spout. Thepresent invention features a novel ice discharge chute which takes theplace of the aforementioned shutter assembly and which is adapted to beselectively actuated by means of a receptacle actuated control leverthat depends downwardly into the dispensing cavity of the machinedirectly below the ice discharge spout. The discharge chute normallyassumes a position below the discharge opening whereby any ice or meltwater which may drop downwardly therethrough will be directed into anouter storage bin which is in turn communicable with a system drain,thereby positively preventing any ice or melt water from droppingdownwardly through the discharge spout during periods of non-use. Atsuch time as it is desired to dispense or vend 'a quantity ofparticulate ice, the aforementioned control lever is actuated byinserting a glass or other suitable receptacle below the dischargespout, whereby the control lever will effect energization of the drivemotor controlling rotation of the storage bin, and simultaneously willeffect movement of the discharge chute from the aforementioned positionto a position guiding the downward flow of ice from the dischargeopening into the discharge spout, as will hereinafter be described indetail.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally toimprovements in apparatus for storing and dispensing ice, and moreparticularly, to an extremely simple and compact apparatus for storingand dispensing ice in flaked or particulate form.

It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide anew and improved ice dispensing apparatus featuring a novel icedischarge chute arrangement which functions to positively prevent iceand melt water from dropping downwardly through the ice discharge spoutduring periods of non-use, and which is movable to a position forguiding or directing ice from the discharge opening to the dischargespout during a vend cycle.

. It is another object of the present invention to provide a new andimproved ice discharge spout arrangement which is of a relatively simpledesign and which is therefore economical to manufacture, easy toassemble and which will have a long and effective operational life.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide animproved particulate ice dispensing machine of the above character thatfacilitates the handling of particulate ice in a sanitary manner.

It is a more specific object of the present invention to provide aparticulate ice dispensing apparatus of the above character wherein theice is stored and delivered without contact with human hands and otherpossible sources of contamination.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new andimproved ice dispensing machine of the above described type wherein therotatable ice storage bin is simultaneously actuable with actuation ofthe ice discharge chute.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a newand improved ice dispensing machine of the above character wherein boththe ice discharge chute and drive motor for rotating the ice storage binare actuated upon engagement of an ice receiving receptacle with acontrol lever located within the dispensing cavity of the machine.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide aparticulate ice dispensing machine which may be easily installed andreadily assembled and disassembled for cleaning and the like without theuse of any special tools.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevated perspective viewof an ice dispensing machine embodying the principles of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of a portion ofthe dispensing cavity of the ice dispensing machine of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view, partially broken away, ofthe interior components of the ice dispensing machine of the presentinvention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view of the icedischarge spout, discharge chute and discharge opening which cooperatewith the ice storage compartment of the ice dispensing machine of thepresent invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged transverse cross sectional view takensubstantially along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken substantially alongthe line 66 of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now in detailto the drawing, a flaked or particulate ice dispensing machine 10, inaccordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention, isshown as comprising an exterior cabinet housing 12 which is formed witha dispensing cavity 14 and a drainboard 16 at the lower end of the frontor forward side thereof. The housing 12 is adapted to contain arefrigeration system of the type well known in the art and includes acondenser 18, a compressor 20 and a cooling fan assembly 22. Thisrefrigeration system serves to supply refrigerant to a particulate iceproducing system 24 of conventional design and located in the upper endof the cabinet 12. (see FIG. 3). The refrigeration system may also beused to cool a liquid, such as drinking water or the like, to bedispensed through a suitable conduit or the like located within thedischarge cavity 14, as is well known in the art. An ice chute or spout26 is provided in the upper end of the cabinet 12 and is adapted tocommunicate particulate ice produced by the system 24 to an icedispensing or vending assembly, generally designated by the numeral 28.As best seen in FIG. 3, the assembly 28 is mounted in the front orforward portion of the cabinet 12 and functions to selectively dispensepreselected quantities of ice in particulate form to a suitablereceptacle disposed within the dispensing cavity 14, in a mannerhereinafter to be described.

It may be noted that while the particular arrangement of theaforementioned refrigeration and ice producing components is notessential to advantageous use of the various features of the presentinvention, their combination with the storage and dispensing portions ofthe hereinafter to be described ice vending assembly 28 provide acompletely self-contained unit that will serve to conveniently andeconomically furnish ice in flaked or particulate form, without exposingsuch ice to any source of contamination. It will further be noted thatthe ice producing system 24 per se does not constitute a material partof the present invention and therefore will not be described in anyfurther detail. By way of example, this system may be of the type shownand described in Trow et al, US. Pat. No.-2,753,694, issued July 10,1956, which is incorporated herein by reference as a part of thedescriptive portion of this specification.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, the ice vending assembly 2B is shown ascomprising an elongated, generally cylindrically shaped outer bin 30which is supported on a suitable structure or platform 31 in theposition shown in FIG. 3. The lower end of the bin 3t) is closed by anannular bottom closure member 32 which is preferably, although notnecessarily, fabricated of stainless steel, or an equivalent corrosionresistance material, such as molded plastic or the like, the member 32providing a fluid tight closure at the lower end of the bin 30 and beingsupported therein by having a downwardly extending flange section 34fixedly secured within the inner periphery of the bin 30. A suitableinsulating material, generally designated by the numeral 36, ispreferably provided around the outer periphery of the outer bin 30 andon the underside of the closure member 32, as illustrated. A generallyradially extending, oval shaped opening 38 is formed in the bottomclosure member 32 within which is supported a downwardly projectingparticulate ice outlet or discharge spout 40 that is formed with aperipheral groove or slotted section 42 which is adapted to nestinglyreceive the periphery of the opening 38, whereby to be operativelysupported in the position shown in FIG. 4. As illustrated, the spout 40extends downwardly below the platform 31, with the lower end thereofterminating within the upper end of the dispensing cavity 14. Disposedcoaxially within the outer bin 30 is a particulate ice storage inner bin44 which is slightly smaller in diameter than the outer bin 30 and ismounted for rotary movement therewithin. The lower end of the inner orice storage bin 44 is formed with an outwardly flared section 46 whichserves to uniformly space the bin 44 from the inner periphery of theouter bin 30. Disposed directly below the storage bin 44 is an annularinner bottom plate or member 48 which is of a generally conicalconfiguration, i.e., tapered radially inwardly and upwardly, and isformed with a generally cylindrical downwardly depending peripheralflange section 50 which is adapted to be detachably secured within thelower end of the outer bin 30 by means of a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced locking pins 52 which are adapted, for example,for bayonet locking engagement with suitable L-shaped slots or the likeformed in the flange section 50, whereby to permit convenient removal ofthe member 48 for purposes of cleaning or the like, as will be apparentto those skilled in the art.

The inner or ice storage bin is fixedly secured to an axially disposed,elongated central shaft 54 by means of a plurality (preferably three) ofgenerally radially extending vanes or partition members, designated bythe numeral 56. Each of the vane members 56 is formed with suitabletransverse flange portions or the like on its radially inner and outeredges which flange portions are adapted to be fixedly secured to the central shaft 54 and inner periphery of the bin 44, thus providing aunitized rotatable assembly. The lower ends of the vanes 56 are inclinedor tapered radially outwardly and downwardly from the shaft 54 towardthe lower end of the bin 44 and thereby conform to the conical shape ofthe bottom member 48, as illustrated.

The shaft 54 is adapted to be operatively supported for rotationalmovement within the outer bin 30 by means of a generally annular orcylindrically shaped hollow support sleeve 58 which is mounted at thelower end of the bin 30 and extends generally axially upwardlytherefrom. The sleeve 58 is fixedly secured at the lower end thereof toa support plate 60 which is secured, as by suitable screws, bolts or thelike, to the platform 31, with the sleeve 58 projecting axially upwardlybeneath the shaft 54 and being adapted to rotatably receive the lowerend of the shaft 54 within the upper end thereof. Disposed below the icevending assembly 28 is a drive motor assembly, generally designated bythe numeral 62.. The assembly 62 comprises a suitable electricallyenergized drive motor 64 which is adapted to drive a suitable gear trainhoused within an enclosure as, the gear train 66 in turn being adaptedto drive or rotate a generally vertically disposed shaft 67 whichprojects upwardly through the sleeve 58. Suitable coupling means,generally designated by the numeral 70, is provided between the upperend of the drive shaft 67 and the lower end of the shaft 54, wherebyrotation of the drive shaft 67 upon energi'zation of the motor 64 willeffect rotation of the shaft 54 and hence rotation of the vanes 56 andthe inner bin Such coupling means is representatively illustrated inFIG. 5 as comprising a generally diametrically extending pin 69 providedon the lower end of the shaft 54, which pin 69 is adapted to benestingly received within a suitable diametrically extending recess orslot 70 formed in the upper end of the drive shaft 67. It will beappreciated, of course, that various alternative drive arrangements maybe utilized without departing from the scope of the present invention.By virtue of the aforedescribed coupling arrangement between the shaft54 and shaft 67, the entire inner bin 44 may be conveniently removed forpurposes of cleaning or the like.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 6, the inner bottom member 48 isformed with a particulate ice discharge opening 72 that extends radiallyfrom a point adjacent the central shaft 54 to a point adjacent the innerbin 44, the opening 72 being located directly above the ice dischargespout 40 that is supported in the bottom member 32, whereby particulateice stored within the inner bin 44 may flow or drop under the influenceof gravity directly through the opening '72 and spout 40 into a suitablereceptacle, such as a glass or the like which is inserted into thedispensing cavity 14. The dispensing of ice is accomplished by rotatingthe inner bin 44, upon suitable actuation of the drive motor assembly62, whereby the mass of particulate ice within the inner bin 44 isrotated relative to the inner bottom member 48. As best illustrated inFIG. 6, the portion of the inner bottom member 48 defining the far sideof the discharge opening 72 (relative to the direction which theparticulate ice is rotating) is slightly raised, whereby to define anice shearing edge, herein designated by the numeral 74. As the mass ofparticulate ice rotates relative to the inner bottom member 48, due tothe aforementioned rotary movement of the inner bin 44, the lowermostparticles of ice which do not drop through the discharge opening 72under the influence of gravity are sheared from the moving mass andthereafter drop through the opening 72 and the discharge spout 40 intothe aforesaid receptacle.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, interposedbetween the underside of the inner bottom member 48 and the dischargespout 40 is an elongated ice discharge chute, generally designated bythe numeral 76. The chute 76 comprises a generally flat or planarcentral portion 78 having a pair of upstanding side sections 80 formingalong the longitudinally opposite sides thereof. The chute 76 extendsgenerally radially outwardly from the support sleeve 58 at a positionunderlying the discharge openings 72, as best seen in FIG. 4. Generallyspeaking, during periods of non-use, the discharge chute 76 is disposedin the solid line position shown in FIG. 4, wherein the chute 76 isarranged generally parallel to the inner bottom member 48, i.e., slopesdownwardly and outwardly. The length of the chute 76 is such that anyice or incidental melt water, which may have a tendency to dropdownwardly from the ice mass within the inner bin 44 through the opening72, will fall onto the chute 76 and be directed downwardly and outwardlybeyond theouter portion of the discharge spout 40, with such ice or meltwater being directed into the lower end of the outer bin 30 and besubsequently communicated to a suitable discharge drain or the likehereinafter to be described. At such time as the machine is actuated,the chute 76 is adapted to be pivoted in a manner such that the outerend thereof moves downwardly or in a generally clockwise direction inFIG. 4 from the solid line position shown in this figure to the dottedor phantom line position. In this latter position, the chute 76 isadapted to guide the ice which drops downwardly through the opening 72into the spout 40 for subsequent dispensing.

The aforesaid pivotal movement of the discharge chute 76 is provided bymeans of a generally horizontally disposed pivot pin 82 (see FIG. 5)which extends laterally through the side sections 80 at the upper end ofthe chute 76 and also through a pair of laterally spaced bosses 84integrally formed on the support sleeve 58 at positions laterallyoutboard of the side sections 80. The chute 76 is formed with agenerally downwardly projecting tab portion 88 adjacent the upper endthereof which is adapted to be pivotally connected via a suitable pivotpin or the like 90 to a downwardly projecting connecting or link member92.

As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, an elongated, generally U-shaped glassfiller control element or lever depends downwardly into the dispensingcavity 14 at a position directly rearwardly of the discharge spout 40.The lever 94 is fonned with a generally U-shaped lower end portion 96which projects beneath the lower end of the discharge spout 40 to aposition wherein a glass or other receptacle into which ice is to bedispensed may be engaged therewith. The lower end portion 96 of thelever 94 is formed with upwardly directed, laterally spaced, legsections 98 and 100 which project through a suitable opening 102. Theupper ends of the leg sections 98, 100 are formed with laterallyoutwardly extending integral support sections 104 and 106, respectively,which are adapted to be pivotably mounted on the upper side oftheplatform 31 by means of a pair of journal blocks, generally designated108, whereby the lever 94 is pivotable between the solid and dotted linepositions shown in FIG. 4. The support section 104 is formed with arearwardly and downwardly extending arm portion which is cooperable witha control switch assembly, generally designated by the numeral 112. Theassembly 1 12 comprises a depressable switch element 114 which isadapted to be engaged by the arm section 110 of the lever 94 in order tocomplete an electrical control circuit to the drive motor assembly 62.More particularly, at such time as the lever 94 is pivotably biased bymeans of a suitable glass or other receptacle from the solid lineposition shown in FIG. 4 to the dotted line position shown in thisfigure, the switch element 114 will be depressed by the section 110 to aposition completing the aforesaid control circuit, thus effectingenergization of the drive motor 64. Similarly, at such time as theaforesaid receptacle is removed, resulting in the lever 94 returning tothe solid line position in FIG. 4 from the dotted line position, theswitch element 1 14 will move to an open position, thus opening theelectric circuit to the drive motor 64 to effect de-energization of thesame.

The support section 106 of the lever 94 is formed with a rearwardlyextending arm section 116 having a generally laterally extending endportion 118 that is pivotably connected to a lower end portion 120 ofthe linkage member 92, the end portion 120 projecting downwardly througha suitable opening 122 as illus trated. By virtue of the operativeconnection of the control lever 94 with the chute 76 via the linkagemember 92, at such time as the lever 94 is depressed, i.e., biased fromthe solid line to the dotted line position in FIG. 4, the linkage member92 will be biased upwardly in FIG. 4, resulting in ice discharge chute76 being pivoted downwardly from the solid line position to the phantomline position, as above described. It will thus be seen that at suchtime as the lever 94 is pivoted rearwardly, as above described, theswitch assembly 112 will be actuated to etfect energization of the drivemotor assembly 62, and simultaneously, the discharge chute 76 will bepivoted from the position blocking the communication of particulate icebetween the discharge opening 72 to the discharge spout 40, to aposition providing such communication of particulate ice.

A detailed description of the overall control system of the machine it)will not be given for purposes of conciseness of disclosure, it beingsufficient to say that the machine 10 may typically be provided with acontrol system such as that shown and described in U. S. Pat. No.3,406,871, which is incorporated by reference in the descriptive portionof this specification, such control system typically including aselector or vend control switch 124 mounted on the cabinet 12 andproviding, for example, for the dispensing of continuous ice upondepressing the lever 96, the dispensing of metered ice (preselectedquantities) and/or the simultaneous or separate dispensing of cooleddrinking water. Assuming that the switch or switches 124 have beenproperly selected or positioned, the operator may place a receptacle,such as a glass or the like, into the dispensing cavity 14 to a positionbelow the lower end of the discharge spout 40. As this is done, thereceptacle will engage the lower end of the lever 94 and bias the samefrom the solid line position in FIG. 4 to the dotted line position. Suchpivotal movement of the lever 94 will effect actuation of the switchassembly 112 and simultaneous pivotal movement of the discharge chute 76from the solid line position to the dotted line position in FIG. 4. Withthe assembly 112 thus actuated, the drive motor assembly 62 will effectrotation of the inner'bin 44, resulting in the mass of particulate icecontained therewithin moving across the discharge opening 72 andthereafter being directed by means of the discharge chute 76 downwardlyinto and through the spout 40 into the receptacle located therebelow. Atsuch time as the vend cycle has been completed, the operator will removethe receptacle, resulting in the lever 96 being moved back to the solidline position of FIG. 4 and further resulting in deactuation of thedrive motor assembly 62 and repositioning of the chute 76 back to thesolid line position in FIG 4 wherein any residual ice or melt water thatmay drop downwardly through the opening 72 may be directed into thelower end of theouter bin 30 and be subsequently communicated via asuitable drain conduit 126 and drain assembly 128 (see FIG. 3) to atuitable system drain.

it will be seen from the foregoing that the present invention provides anovel ice dispensing machine which features an improved ice dischargearrangement wherein any ice or melt water which may fall downwardlythrough the discharge opening will be conveyed directly to a systemdrain instead of falling through the discharge spout. The chutearrangement described herein will be seen to be of an extremely simpledesign and hence may be economically manufactured and will have a longand effective operational life. it will be appreciated, of course, thatmany alternative arrangemerits may be utilized for operativelyconnecting the control lever 94 with the chute 76 and control switchassembly 102 without departing from the scope or fair meaning of thesubjoined claims and that the arrangement described hereinabove has beenshown merely as a highly satisfactory method of carrying out the presentinvention.

While it will be apparent that the preferred embodiment hereinillustrated is well calculated to fulfill the objects stated, it will beappreciated that the present invention is susceptible to modification,variation and change without departing from the proper scope or fairmeaning of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination in an apparatus for dispensing a particulate material,

a movably supported particulate material storage bin,

said storage bin being movable toward and away from a dischargeposition,

means defining a particulate material discharge opening adjacent thelower end of said bin,

a discharge spout for communicating particulate material from saidopening into a suitable receptacle therefor,

a relatively movable discharge chute for communicating particulatematerial from said opening to said spout,

said discharge chute being movable from a first position whereinmaterial placed thereon will bedirected to a first location and a secondposition wherein material placed thereon will be directed toward saiddischarge opening, and

means for simultaneously moving said bin toward said discharge positionand causing said discharge chute to be moved from said first positiontoward said second position, whereby particulate material within saidstorage bin will pass toward said discharge opening and thereafter alongsaid chute into a receptacle.

2.. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein said chute is movablebetween a first position communicating with a drain and a secondposition communicating with a receptacle.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein said chute is movablebetween a first position communicating particulate material from saiddischarge opening towards said spout and a second position communicatingsaid discharge opening with a drain.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein said storage binincludes a rotatable inner bin disposed within said storage bin andmeans for selectively rotating said inner bin.

1. In combination in an apparatus for dispensing a particulate material,a movably supported particulate material storage bin, said storage binbeing movable toward and away from a discharge position, means defininga particulate material discharge opening adjacent the lower end of saidbin, a discharge spout for communicating particulate material from saidopening into a suitable receptacle therefor, a relatively movabledischarge chute for communicating particulate material from said openingto said spout, said discharge chute being movable from a first positionwherein material placed thereon will be directed to a first location anda second position wherein material placed thereon will be directedtoward said discharge opening, and means for simultaneously moving saidbin toward said discharge position and causing said discharge chute tobe moved from said first position toward said second position, wherebyparticulate material within said storage bin will pass toward saiddischarge opening and thereafter along said chute into a receptacle. 2.The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein said chute is movablebetween a first position communicating with a drain and a secondposition communicating with a receptacle.
 3. The invention as set forthin claim 1 wherein said chute is movable between a first positioncommunicating particulate material from said discharge opening towardssaid spout and a second position communicating said discharge openingwith a drain.
 4. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein saidstorage bin includes a rotatable inner bin disposed within said storagebin and means for selectively rotating said inner bin.